Velvet racks



Oct. 18, 1960 J. A. SCHAUSTER 2,956,673

VELVET RACKS Filed Sept. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JoszPH A.501/7 us 727?.

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Oct. 18, 1960 J. A. SCHAUSTER 2,956,673

I VELVET RACKS Filed Sept. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. JosEPH/7. Sam USTER.

United States Patent VELVET RACKS Joseph A. Schauster, Manchester,Conn., assignor to The Empire Tool & Manufacturing Company, Manchester,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 12, 1958, Ser. No.760,753 '3 Claims. (Cl. 206-51) This invention relates to velvet racksand more specifically to racks which are generally used for containingfabric forstorage and transportation purposes in such a manner that theconvolutions of fabric wound on such racks are spaced apart to preventdamage to the pile or surface of such fabrics as velvet and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved velvet rack havingnovel advantages over such racks tion will be more fully'understood fromthe following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one of the end units of a velvet rack embodyingthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof and of one end portion of said rack.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of said end portion on line 33 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the central portion of said end unit.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the end units of a rnodified form of avelvet rack embodying my invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view of said end unit.

The above described figures of the drawing illustrate only one endportion of a velvet rack; it being commonly understood by thoseacquainted with the art that such racks generally comprise two of saidend portions which are identical and separated by an intermediateelongated member such as a rod, bar or the like.

In accordance with the present invent-ion, each end portion of the rackincludes an end unit constructed of a pair of identical arm members 5and 6 which are secured together in opposed positions and upon oppositesides of a stem portion 7 of an axial connector 8 by suitable fasteningmeans, such as rivets 9, which extend through the central portions ofsaid arm members 5 and 6 and said stem portion 7.

Each of the arm members 5 and 6 is constructed of sheet metal and formedto provide a central portion 10 and arm portions 1111 extendingangularly therefrom in opposite directions. The said arm portions 11-11include fl-a-t portions 12--12 which have their inner edge portionsformed to provide inwardly extending hooks 13-13 on each of said armswhich are directed outwardly in said end members and have sharp endsadapted to pierce the selvage of fabric that is wound onto said racks.

The outer free edge portions of the arm members 5 and 6 are bentinwardly to provide a stiifening flange 14 for stiffening said armmembers.

The outer free end portions of each of said am portion: 11-11 are rolledor bent backwardly to provide rounded supporting corner portions 15 onsaid end units which will be disposed against the inside corner of acontainer, as indicated at 16, to support the weight of the rack withthe fabric thereon. The opposite free edge portions of each of saidcorner portions 15 are curved inwardly so as to provide rounded corners17-17 which will prevent said edge portions from digging into thematerial of the container and thereby facilitate the insertion of theracks into said containers and also prevent damage thereto.

The connector 8 is preferably constructed of 'an inverted T shaped sheetmetal blank which is formed to provide the stem portion 7 with lateralarm portions 18--18 that are bent to opposite sides of said stem portioninto an axially S-shape which forms a plug-like body portion adapted tobe inserted into a tubular spacing member 19, such as a paper tube orthe like, for said end units. The inner edge of the central portion 10of each arm member 5 and 6 is provided with an out wardly extendingflange 20 which extends over adjacent portions of the arm portions andis adapted to abut the free end edges of the spacing member 19 forwithstanding the pressure of said end members under the pull of thefabric which is suspended between them.

The lateral arm portions 1818 of the connector 8 are preferablyresilient and their lower edges are curved inwardly, as at 21, to guideand tension said plug-like body into a tight fit within the end portionof the tubular member 19. The said portions 1818 are preferably spacedfrom the flanges 2020 so that their upper edges will be disposedinwardly of the free edge of said tubular members 19 and the outwardtension in said-portions will cause them to bite into the walls of thetubular member, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and thereby firmly secure saidend units thereto.

It will be understood from the above description that the preferred formof my invention provides an improved rack, for velvet and the like, inwhich the hooks 13 are formed integrally with the bars 5 and 6 so thatthe number of parts required for the end units are greatly reduced andsaid rack is greatly simplified in comparison with conventional racks inwhich the hooks are formed on separate plates which are then mounted toarms that are constructed of bar stock. This simplification greatlyreduces the cost of manufacture for the end units and also provides adecided advantage wherein the connecting member 18 greatly facilitatesthe assembling of the racks by rendering it necessary only to force theconnectors of two end units into the opposite ends of the tubular member19, which may be performed with a single operation by the use of asuitable fixture, to provide a complete rack ready for mounting thefabric thereon.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, my improved rack may be modified, if desired,to simplify and reduce the cost of the tools for producing the armmembers with the integr-al hooks. In this modified form, the axialconnector 8 is the same as above described for the preferred form ofrack. However, the arm members 22 and 23 are constructed of a heavierbar of stock and each is bent to provide a central portion 24 with armportions 25-25 extending angularly therefrom. In this form, identicalhook plates 26 are secured to the ends of said arm portions 2525 bysuitable means, such as rivets 27, so that said hook plates continueoutwardly from the arm portions.

Each of said hook plates is constructed of a thinner sheet metal thanthe arm members 24 and the upper edge portion thereof is bent to form astiffening flange 28 which extends over the arm portions 25. The outerend portions of said hook plates are curved back to provide roundedcorners for the rack for the purpose above described. 2

I claim:

1. For a velvet rack of the character described which includes anelongated tubular spacing member and a pair of end units mounted uponthe opposite ends of said spacing member; an end unit having an axialconnector constructed from an inverted T-shaped blank of sheet metal andhaving the opposite lateral arm portions thereof bent in oppositedirections to form an axially S-shaped plug-like portion adapted to beinserted into the end of the tubular spacing member; the central portionof said blank providing an axial stern portion extending outwardly fromsaid plug-like portion, and an identical pair of arm members secured toopposite sides of said stem portion and extending angularly therefrom;each of said arm members including a central portion secured to said armportion, arm portions extending angularly from opposite sides of thesaid central portion, a stiffening flange extending along the outeredges of said central and arm portions, a series of hooks integral withand projecting inwardly from the inner edges of each of said armportions, and a flange on the inner edge of said central portion forabutting the end of said tubular spacing member; the outer ends of eachof said end portions being bent to provide rounded supporting portionsat the corners of said end units adapted to abut adjacent sides of thecorners inside of a container to support said rack within saidcontainer.

2. For a velvet rack of the character described which includes an axialelongated tubular spacing member having a pair of opposed end units uponthe opposite ends thereof; an end unit having an axial connector, a pairof identical arm members mounted upon and having arm portions extendingangularly from opposite sides of said connector and a series of hooksextending inwardly from each of said arm portions; the said connectorbeing constructed from an inverted T-shaped blank of sheet metal,

the opposite arm portions of said blank being bent to provide an axiallyS-shaped resilient plug-like portion having inwardly rounded inner edgeportions and adapted to be inserted into the end of said tubular spacingmember to a position wherein the outer edges of said lateral armportions are disposed inwardly of the free end edge of said spacingmember; the central portion of said blank extending from said plug-likeportion and providing a stem projecting beyond the end of the saidtubular spacing member and having. said arm members secured to oppositesides thereof.

3. For a velvet rack of the character described which includes anelongated tubularspacing member and a pair of end units mounted upon theopposite ends of said spacing member; an end unit having an axialconnector constructed from an inverted T-shaped blank of sheet metal andhaving the opposite lateral arm portions thereof bent in oppositedirections to provide an axially S- shaped plug-like portion insertableinto the end of said tubular spacing member; the central portion of saidblank providing an axial stem extending outwardly from said plug-likeportion, and arm members secured to the opposite sides of said stemportion; each of said arm members having a series of hooks projectinginwardly therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,344,110 Banes June 22, 1920 1,400,529 Copeland Dec. 20, 1921 1,758,229Kneen May 13, 1930 1,969,303 Gaudreau Aug. 7, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,148Great Britain 1889

